A Torchwood Nightmare before Christmas
by Gecko Osco
Summary: Really, the title says it all, a Halloween special; quite possible to OD from all the crack. Janto.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing...BBC and RTD (bastard) own Torchwood and Burton/Danny Elfman own the rest.

A Torchwood Nightmare before Christmas: 

Part One: This is Halloween

"Please, oh please, won't you tell us a story? You know so many good ones!"

The speaker was very small and had a group of similarly sized companions around him, for he was unmistakably a little boy, with a mop of dark hair, three eyes, and an eager smile; the kind of little boy that appeared on commercials for alphabet soup in the late 40th century. The addressee was quite a bit older, but mostly on the inside; he smiled the kindly and benevolent way older men did when looking at grandchildren and propped his head up on his hand.

"But what sort of story would you like to hear?"

"Adventure!"

"No, stupid, I want a love story!"

"Scary! Those are the best!"

The man chuckled and leaned closer to the gaggle of children, a mischievous smile on his handsome face. "How about one that has all of those? A story about a hero's longing for something new, a story about two vastly different holidays that met by mistake, a story where there are monsters, ghouls and witches, a pumpkin king and a rag doll who save the day and find one another?"

The children nodded excitedly and plopped down in a tight cluster.

"Will it be too scary?" asked a small girl who looked the most similar to the speaker as far as species went, her eyes wide and apprehensive.

"No, not too scary."

"And not too many kissing parts?" The three-eyed little boy asked with a frown of disgust and disapproval only little boys could achieve.

"No more than usual." The man smiled all the wider.

The children giggled excitedly before quieting down again for their storyteller. He paused and gathered his many, many thoughts together and tried to think of how to begin the story. It had once been a popular one, many years ago, and while it wasn't as well known anymore, the children would appreciate it nonetheless. Startlingly, the holidays making up the premise for the story were still being practiced in mostly their original forms in certain systems, specifically ones closest to Old Earth, so they would understand and enjoy that aspect.

However…the man was a little fuzzy on some of the details of the characters. He couldn't really be blamed…he was still very new at being very old. He could recall bits and pieces, stitches and striped suits, but nothing whole; still, he knew the story well enough. The children wouldn't know the difference if he substituted characters he couldn't picture for people he still could. A slightly bittersweet smile settled across his face as he slotted people remembered but long lost into their roles, their faces and voices still vivid in his memories…the important ones always were.

"Are we ready?" The children all nodded fervently, multi-colored and single-colored eyes bright and wide. The man nodded and clicked a few buttons on a device wrapping around his wrist, dimming the lights and lighting the small hut in orange and yellow, looking back over his hushed audience with a theatrical grin. "Long ago, longer now than it seems, in a place that perhaps exists only in your dreams…"

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"_This is Halloween, this is Halloween, pumpkins scream in the dead of night…"_

Ianto, unsteadily, made his way out of the building he had the misfortune of calling home, checking behind him once more to make sure he had put enough deadly nightshade in Miss Yvonne's evening tea before he opened the creaking, iron door. Outside, it was a cacophony of noise and motion that nearly made him dizzy, all the denizens of Halloween out in their very worst and creating a dazzling show for all their audience in the 'normal' world to enjoy this one night. He made sure to stay out of the way for the most part, his shaking limbs still weren't all that accustomed to long periods of movement that didn't require making coffee, soup, or tea, but his eyes took everything in.

The sky was dark and ominous, ghosts frolicking without reservation, and the entire show was terrifying, a regular parade of every monster that existed in a child's mind. To be completely honest though, Ianto was equally distracted by the cobbled, broken roads and slanted buildings as much as he was by the show. You see, he had never been allowed out much since his creation. Understandably, he had taken to poisoning his creator just to avoid the cabin fever itching underneath his stitches; but still, he never got very far before she came after him. But tonight, tonight was his very _first_ Halloween and he made sure to put enough nightshade in her tea to ensure he enjoyed it.

Perhaps it should be explained that Ianto was, like all of his fellow townspeople in the town of Halloween, not human. No, no, he was, in fact, a cobbled together creature who had been stitched together in Halloween and had not experienced death in the same manner all other townsfolk had at one point or another. He was somewhat tall, not freakishly like many others he saw walking the streets, but enough that he considered himself so, and looked somewhat young and 'fresh,' in comparison with a town made up of various nightmares and monsters. He wore a suit, at his creator's insistence at first but he grew to enjoy them well enough, that was ripped and tattered, sometimes revealing the stitches holding him together underneath. As strange as this sounds though, he was quite handsome, stitches and all.

The parade made its way into the main circle of town square (quite an oxymoron, Ianto thought to himself in a bemused sort of way), their song getting louder and louder as it reached its crescendo. Witches flew overhead, cackling madly, a bloodied looking man in a doctor's coat twisted wicked looking knives around dangerously, ghosts swarmed around a flaming scarecrow that was horrifying and beautiful. Ianto kept himself behind a flickering, practically defunct lamp post, watching as the scarecrow twirled and whirled in a flurry of flame before it flipped into a well…he knew who that was now. It was impossible not to, even confined as he was.

Their Skeleton Jack, their Pumpkin King.

He didn't really appear skeletal enough to be a skeleton, but Ianto supposed it was more of an honorific title than literal, much like the Pumpkin King name. He did, however, appear dead and somewhat monstrous like the townspeople who admired him so. He was quite tall and gaunt, his skin a pale gray stretched tight against his bones and muscle, with a wild shag of hair that stuck up in every which way that was as dark as the sky at the moment. He was dressed in what looked like military clothing, that while a bit faded and patched, looked mostly whole, and a great jacket covered in cobwebs that made him look dreadfully menacing. Despite his ghastly appearance though, his eyes were bright, alive, and nearly glowed in the darkness surrounding him…he really looked quite dashing for a Halloween king. Ianto had never really seen him up close before…he had expected him to look a bit scarier.

The song and celebration ended in a jubilant cheer as everyone congratulated each other on another great Halloween, surrounding a smiling Jack, who was smiling a bit too wide for Ianto to believe. He felt a strange tug encircle him as he stared at their Pumpkin King, but just as he started to climb down from his post on the lamppost, a tough grip encircled his wrist and pulled him away from the rest. He rolled his eyes and cursed silently when he met Miss Yvonne's frowning, half mutilated, half metallic visage, managing to look quite dangerous despite her wheelchair.

"You ungrateful brat! Poisoning me, again, and sneaking away!"

"Let go of me." He tugged at his arm experimentally, making sure to keep his voice polite and unassuming, sighing internally when he didn't budge one bit. Well, that really only left one more option…he was going to enjoy the rest of this night if he had to do so in pieces!

"No, we are going back, and you'll be lucky if you see the outside of your room for a moon!"

"Mm, no, I'm not." He reached through a rather large tear in his suit and pulled at his stitches hard, stumbling as his right arm came off, but luckily not losing his footing. Yvonne battled his now fighting right arm, which had taken it upon itself to pound her half-metal head harshly, and he took the opportunity to take off, wobbling off balance as his still learning legs fought against the abrupt change in equilibrium.

He ran, ran as well as he could, not noticing that another was quickly trying to run away as well, but then again, he did have good reason. He was missing his arm after all. When he came to a stop, he was in one of many cemeteries surrounding the town of Halloween…still, this one was one of the nicer ones. He came to a stop at a large headstone and sat down a bit dejectedly, glancing sorrowfully at his missing arm, picking at the fall colored leaves poking out. He sighed and leaned back with an annoyed glance upward, silently asking if one night was really too much to ask for, one night for himself. He was restless, being cooped up all day and night, forbidden from the wide world because others thought he wasn't ready. How annoyingly patronizing. He gingerly removed his tattered jacket and pulled back the nearly torn sleeve of his shirt to examine his battle wound with greater interest (he wasn't exactly sure how bad it was…it was the first time he'd willingly undone his stitches), but another sound and ensuing presence in the cemetery halted him. He hurriedly ducked behind the headstone, glancing up and over when the other had walked past him a little.

To Ianto's great surprise, it was Jack, a somewhat contemplative look on his face, the moonlight bringing his pale skin into greater prominence against the dark coat. He walked past the grave of what looked like a dog house with the name Myfanwy etched into the stone, gave a pat against his leg, and out rose the ghost of a dog, a bright bulb of red for a nose. He stopped, completely oblivious of Ianto's presence and began a slightly conceited monologue that made Ianto roll his eyes and frown. Yes, it was obvious that Jack was a great terror, the best in all of Halloween even, but did he really have to go on about it?

However…the more Ianto listened, the more melancholy it sounded…the sadder he found himself becoming. Jack, their Pumpkin King, was so very tired of it all, so tired and full of longing he couldn't understand, missing something awfully important but not a clue as to what it might be. And, the more he watched, the more Ianto found that his own feelings were echoed with their Pumpkin King…and it felt all so new to him! He frowned and pushed himself, awkwardly and clumsily since he only had the one arm, but Jack was trudging, depressingly, into the forest, too far and too gone to look back. Ianto frowned deeper and gave a sad sort of sigh.

"I know how you feel, sir."

He took a deep breath and steeled himself as he made his way back to the town and the punishment he knew awaited him…but really, he did need his arm back, it was his good one that he used for just about everything. He stopped to restock on the nightshade and wolfsbane herbs he knew he would in the near future and continued back, casting one last glance over his shoulder at the gloomy forest Jack had disappeared to.

Now, while Ianto made his way back, Jack made his way forward, walking and walking and walking until the night was gone and the sun replaced her. He had not really had such a terrible Halloween night, in fact, he agreed with Martha, their lovely Mayor who had a habit of over-reacting over little things and literally turning face, that it had been their best yet. Two of the witches, lovely things named Gwen and Tosh, had effused him with praise with his performance and he couldn't deny his own part either. Even their resident Mad Doctor, Owen, had grudgingly offered how well they had all done…and still he was left with nothing but an empty pit when it was all said and done.

It was miserable, and not the good kind he usually took pleasure in causing, this barren feeling that had taken up in his chest, so much that he couldn't even stand to stay for the awards that night. And now, here he was, wandering aimlessly in a truly pathetic manner not befitting the terror-inspiring Pumpkin King…Myfanwy chirping behind him in an effort to either cheer him up or get him to play. And, eventually, when he finally looked up, deciding he had wallowed enough, he found himself someplace _new_.

He perked up and glanced around as he entered an oddly shaped clearing, looking even more intrigued when the large trees forming the circle were shown to have funny sort of doors on them. A heart, and a clover…an colored egg, some fowl…and something so marvelous he couldn't help but draw nearer to it, his brightly gleaming eyes staring in wonder at the colors and vibrant life the tree-shaped door had. He glanced back at Myfanwy, who looked somewhat apprehensive about the whole affair, and with a rakish grin that truly lived up to his Skeleton Jack name, opened the door…

…but nothing happened. He frowned, rubbed at his chin and glared at the open door leading to nothing but blackness, peering around after a few moments, still seeing nothing. He turned back, shrugged at Myfanwy, and started to walk to one of the other doors to see if they were any different…when a cold wind wrapped around him and tugged him down into that tree and that blackness. And he fell for what felt like ages, before finally coming to a stop on a cold mound of white, eyes going wide as bright, happy colors and sights filled his vision.

He let it all soak in, let it fill him up, and he made his way down to take a closer look, longing to know what he had found with a passion that had been long dead. Now, some may think it obvious what he found, all the red and green, the snow and elves, the toys and candies being made and baked, but to him, it wasn't. He poked and peeked around for hours, watching toys being made, gazing at little ones at play without being scared senseless, crunching the snow, for that was what the white stuff was, with pleasure. And he learned what presents were, what they were made for, and what all this was for.

Christmas town…

And he decided that he needed to share all of this, everything that amazed and excited him, with his own townsfolk so they could share in his joy. They needed to know how much, much more to their world there was than just their Halloween! And so, he set off to gather all that he learned, ignoring the little voice that said perhaps this wasn't what he was missing, this wasn't what would fix his emptiness…but then there wouldn't be much of a story, would there?

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True to his suspicions, Yvonne was not pleased when Ianto returned. Still, she had attached his arm back on, which wasn't necessary because Ianto knew how to do it himself but he let her have these little things when she was not particularly pleased with him. Saved everyone a lecture. And after yet another lecture about how he wasn't ready for so much excitement, she had left him alone, no doubt to reflect on his actions but he found himself much more concerned about Jack. He could hear the frantic worry of the townsfolk about how he had not returned that night, and how he had been missing for nearly two days, and wondered if anyone had thought to search those forests.

But, it wasn't like he could shout out his suggestion from so high up, so he wondered silently.

But then…then Jack returned late the next morning, on a very strange looking automotive, calling immediately for a town meeting that everyone should attend with a passion that had been absent the last time he had seen the Pumpkin King. Ianto watched all the excitement from his tower, knowing there'd be no chance Yvonne would even think about letting him go with her if she decided to go (not after three times of poisoning), but he felt a fire burn through him…he was going to go to that meeting and if that meant a fourth time of poisoning, so be it. He'd just have to be a bit sneakier about it.

As it turned out, that did not prove too difficult, an extra dose of nightshade and a hint of frog's breath in her afternoon soup, a straining spoon, and an unassuming attitude did the trick and the next thing he knew, he was making his way into a large, wonderfully broken down building with every other towns person, some looking at him curiously while others just rushed past him. He grinned widely and took up a spot near the back, climbing up onto a large oak branch that had broken its way inside. The various monsters and nightmares were chatting excitedly, all wondering what could possibly be so important to Jack, and then they hushed as one as he came out on stage, nodding his thanks to their mayor, who was busy arranging lights in the rafters.

"Listen, there were objects so peculiar they were not to be believed and a world unlike anything I've ever seen! And as hard as I try I can't seem to describe, but you must believe when I tell you this it's as real as you or I and it does exist…here, let me show you."

Jack pulled back the curtain and revealed a colorful display that immediately caught the attention of everyone; Ianto felt a smile stretch across his face, his stitches flexing wide to accommodate the uncharacteristic smile (he usually smirked you see). The little tree was shaped like a triangle and had pretty lights wrapped all around it and there were equally colorful boxes underneath it, as well as toys, red, large socks, and platters of what smelled like cakes. Jack paused and let the sight sink in before he continued, picking up a colorful box and showing it to his audience.

"This is a thing called a present, and the whole thing starts with a box—"

"A box? Is it steel"

"Are there locks?"

"Is it filled with a pox?"

A petite witch with slanted features and stringy, dark hair stood up and clapped her hands. "A pox? Oh, how delightful!"

Jack shook his head and frowned deeply. "No, Tosh, if you please, just a box. Wrapped with brightly colored paper and the whole thing is topped with a bow."

"A bow, oh, how ugly! But what's in it?" Another witch, taller and paler than Tosh, with a gap in between her large, fanged teeth said aloud. "What's in it?"

Jack, still frowning, held the box away from the two witches, who began to circle him on their brooms. Ianto stifled a chuckle at the sight. "That's the point of the thing, not to know."

Ianto shook his head in an amused, but not unkindly, manner as Jack continued the futile effort of trying to explain what each of the foreign things were and what Christmas was, wishing he could help in some way, but he knew it was a wasted effort. The townsfolk were just too different from this Christmas business, they kept trying to explain it in their own terms while Jack tried and tried to correct them…but eventually, he recognized the lost cause and began his usual theatrics as he told them all about the ruler of Christmasland, a 'Sandy Claws' who was huge, red, and seemed appropriately terrifying. It was a shame, because all of the Christmas things looked lovely and Jack was so very excited by them, but Ianto couldn't help but wonder why he was trying to explain these things in the first place.

True, they were different and pretty but they had no place in Halloween…Jack was the Pumpkin King; something just didn't sit right with him about this whole situation. And after all the others filtered out of the hall, Ianto stayed and wondered more and more, trying to figure out why he felt such foreboding and why Jack couldn't ignore this Christmas thing. It was all this thinking that was his undoing in the end, Yvonne eventually finding and yanking him back to the laboratory she liked to have him call home.

However, he was no longer content to sit alone and apart from the rest of the world, not after having experienced it. He felt a mild tinge of regret for the thoughts forthcoming abandonment of Yvonne he was entertaining, she had made him after all, but he could not be what she wanted him to be and he didn't want to be. In the end, it had been as easy to escape as it had been to poison her four times; all it had taken was a little determination and courage to swan dive out of the tower. He had lowered a small satchel and basket beforehand and lying on the cobblestone afterward, he had decided he had never made a better decision.

After deftly stitching his hand, arm, and two legs back to their proper place, he got to his continually wobbly feet and made his way through the dark streets until they came to a stop outside the imposing gates of what many in the town had nicknamed the 'Hub.' Strange nickname for a house, but Ianto assumed it meant something important to Jack. The uppermost tower of the rickety and leaning home was flashing a bright green as Jack sunk deeper and deeper into this Christmas business…Ianto had overheard a guest of Yvonne's say that he had gone to the Mad Doctor for experiment equipment.

To be completely honest, Ianto could not begin to explain the strange flutter and worry he felt over all this, over Jack. It was completely new, completely unknown, and completely irrational, according to what he'd been taught, but there it was festering inside him…and he really couldn't seem to come up with a good enough excuse to want to get rid of it. He glanced back down at the little basket he had made, his own special coffee brew and a few other odds and ends he figured just about anyone would like and back up at the tower, a small smile stretching across his face. He left the basket at the base of the gate and tossed a few rocks at the top window, waving, a bit shyly if truth be told, when Jack appeared, looking both frazzled and a bit paler than normal (if such a thing was possible, Ianto thought with humor).

Jack looked at Ianto in confusion, as if trying to place him, a bit of a gleam reappearing in his eyes as he smiled, if a bit unsure.

Ianto tilted his head to the side and felt a smirk cross his face before he motioned to the basket by the gate.

Jack's tired face alit with comprehension and he motioned to wait before he disappeared. Ianto, however, was still a bit unsure of what he was feeling so he didn't wait. He ducked away and peeked for only a second when he heard the gate open; Jack looked around for a moment but he shrugged and grabbed the basket and eventually headed back inside. Ianto smiled again and rested back against the stone wall…he wasn't sure what he felt but he was sure that he liked it. It filled up the empty space he'd had since he had first opened his eyes…like he had been incomplete for all this time but had finally found the way to be whole. It was all quite wonderful, if a bit frightening...but everything worthwhile in this town was.

He picked at a gray thistle and twirled it in between his fingers, watching how it blurred in the night when something very odd happened. Even by Halloween's standards. The thistle shriveled away and left a miniature Christmas tree, just like the one that had been on the stage at the meeting, complete with cheerful little lights. Ianto smiled and went to touch it with his other hands when it burst into flames, leaving nothing but a charred, skeleton behind. He stared at it, justifiably startled, and dropped the husk to the ground, watching as it collapsed to ash and blew away. He looked back to the blinking green tower, a pit of dread in his stomach, and looked into the dark sky.

He had a very bad feeling that things were about to spin wildly out of control…

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	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing...BBC and RTD (bastard) own Torchwood and Burton/Danny Elfman own the rest. This is what happens when I try to write Torchwood while listening to "Night mare Revisited," a redone compilation of Nightmare Before Christmas songs by modern artists. I beg you all for forgiveness beforehand.

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A Torchwood Nightmare before Christmas

Part Two: Making Christmas

The next, dank morning proved Ianto's fears and forebodings.

He had managed to slip off to sleep, despite the whirlwind of thoughts going through his head, against that wall and had awoken to whispered and worried mutters about Jack and his obsession with the Christmas business. Well, as worried as the townspeople of Halloween could be. Deep inside, Ianto felt a tingle of agreement with them, but he also understood the emptiness Jack felt…he was all together torn on how he felt. All he did know was that the burning Christmas tree from his premonition could foretell nothing good about Jack's obsession.

He pushed himself to his feet, wobbly with sleep and unaccustomed sleep positions that were new for his legs, and blinked as Jack threw open his windows and shouted out that he had finally understood what they needed to do. _They_ needed to take over Christmas this year, do something so new and different that every child in the world would be amazed. It would be theirs this year! Predictably, all the rest started cheering and celebrating at his words, caught up in Jack's fervor and passion for change, though Ianto highly doubted they felt the same burning desire for something new that Jack did. Ianto, however, felt a sick swoop of dread settle in his stomach, making his very stitches tingle in alarm of what would come now.

The 'what' actually turned out to be fairly simple…in order to best take over Christmas, they not only would have to divide it amongst themselves to do it properly, but they would also have to change it, make it better. For while Jack obviously adored what he saw in Christmas town, he couldn't help but think it could stand to be improved, and naturally, he thought he was just the Pumpkin King to do it. Lining up outside the town hall to receive his assignment, Ianto could not fathom why, no matter how hard he thought about it.

It was in line that Ianto faced his first fear of complete freedom. He understood that by jumping out the window with what few belongings he liked enough to take with him, he basically informed Miss Yvonne that he had no intention of returning. What he had not understood would be her manic need for him to be brought back…why couldn't she just make another creature, one that wouldn't mind being at her beckon call? Surely it couldn't be too difficult. But no, she had to search for him, and hearing the whirring of her wheelchair as he stood in line was quite possibly worse than a thistle morphing into a festive tree and spontaneously combusting before his eyes.

He ducked out of line, squeezing in between a rather large man with an axe sticking out the side of his head and a werewolf who smelled a tad like garbage (Ianto supposed it could have been worse) and sneaked into the building. It was only after he was inside, he heard their mayor, Martha, whose face was currently stressed and harried complete with ink blotches, that he heard the announcement for Yvonne to come to the front of the line. Cursing softly, he looked around hurriedly, swearing determinedly that he was not going back and he wasn't losing any limbs in the process! He found a suitable enough nook hidden in a dark part of the building and crouched down, tucking himself tight against the wall and keeping his eyes peeled over the edge of a fallen over chair.

"Ah, professor, thank you so much for coming today!" Martha effused, her head whirring around and flashing her brilliant smile. She was actually quite lovely when happy.

"Yes, yes, get it out already. What do you want of me?"

"Professor, I need some of these." Ianto had to squint to see what Jack motioned to in the open, brightly colored book. They looked like horses…horses with horns and they were harnessed to a large, red sleigh.

Yvonne stared at them for a moment, a contemplative glint in her squint. She patted at her exposed brain (the half of her head not encased in metal) and looked back at the ludicrously excited smile on Jack's face. "Their construction should be quite simple, how many do you need?"

"Eight."

Yvonne snapped the book away from him and closed with a sneering smile. "You can expect a bill. Pleasure doing business with you, Pumpkin King."

Martha's face whirled back to her less-than-pleased expression as Yvonne left. "She shouldn't talk to you like that! Jack-Jack? Jack—where are you going?! I can't make these decisions on my own! Oh—yes, uhm, Vampires…well what do you want to do?"

The mayor continued to fluster about a bit, not really comfortable with all this Christmas brouhaha, but Ianto's eyes followed as Jack walked around the podium, bypassed the line, glared at Yvonne's chair as it exited, and knelt down in front of his corner, eyes glinting in humor. Ianto met the grin with a carefully blank stare, not at all sure what this fluttering feeling in his stomach meant, but enjoying it just the same.

"Well, you're new."

"I expect we all are at some point, sir." Jack smiled wider at the honorific and stood up, offering his hand to Ianto, who stared at it for a moment before he grasped it with his own stitched up hand.

"Just Jack…do you have a name?"

"Ianto."

Jack smiled again, so wide that Ianto began to understand why he was called Skeleton Jack, and walked him back to the front of the line, looking with interest at how Ianto wobbled and at his stitches that showed. "So, Ianto, does the reason you were hiding coincide with who was just in here?"

Ianto wrinkled his brow at the confusing way the words were said. "If you're asking if Yvonne was the reason I was hiding, then yes."

Jack laughed circling around Ianto as if trying to catalogue him. "To the point, that's refreshing!" He stopped circling and lifted up one of Ianto's arms, looking at the stitches with curiosity. "Did she make you?"

Ianto nodded.

Jack nodded, looking at the stitches some more before he met Ianto's eyes. "Do you know how to fix your stitches? Should you rip them?"

Ianto raised his eyebrow, crinkling the stitches at his temple. "Of course."

Jack beamed and searched around his pile of Christmas things for a few moments, remerging with a picture of himself in a red suit with a hat and a sack. "How about I make you a deal, you make my Sandy Claws suit and I'll personally make sure Yvonne never bothers you again, deal?"

It was so tempting Ianto almost forgot the terrifying premonition, especially with how close Jack was standing and how genuinely happy and excited he looked, but in the end, he didn't. He gulped and looked at the picture that had been shoved into his hands, feeling the cold weight of indecision for the first time before he looked back up, uncertainty plain on his face. "I—I don't think this is a good idea."

"Of course it is! Who else could possibly be clever enough to make my Sandy Claws outfit?"

"No, not that, our Christmas…I had this vision and there was smoke and fire and—"

"That's not _my_ Christmas! My Christmas will be full of cheer and laughter!"

Ianto narrowed his eyes and clutched the picture tighter in his hands. "It's going to be a disaster."

"How can it? You just follow the pattern, this part is red and the trim is white. I know you'll do wonderfully!"

Ianto stared at their Pumpkin King for a moment before he scooted out of line, letting a slimy and decaying young woman step forward and receive her duties, and all too familiar feeling welling up inside him. Disappointment. He sighed and looked at the red outfit he was supposed to make, the sense of wrongness and foreboding curling ever tighter in his stomach, wishing he could be swept up in all of the excitement, instead of feeling nothing but how wrong all of this was.

Ianto, somewhat dejectedly, made his way out of the town hall just as a trio of masked not-quite-children, not-quite-adults, stormed in, inciting some alarmed cries and Martha's eyes to go wide in anxiety (which swiftly turned to anger when one of the trio hit her in the head with a piece of rotten candy). Jack, however, just looked pleased and strode forward.

"Jack! What are Boogie's boys doing here?!" Martha all but hissed.

"Jack asked for us."

"Specifically."

"By name!"

The tall one in the red devil costume took off his mask and smiled most terribly, his entire face gaunt and a sickly-yellowish tint. "John."

The shorter and only girl pulled off her witch mask, her blonde hair stringy and dank under her pointed hat; she smiled in a manner that managed to be both seductive and threatening. "Mary."

The last boy stepped forward, pulling off his skeleton mask, possible the most gruesome of the three just because of his macabre smile and blue tint to his skin. "Adam."

"Yes, Halloween's finest trick-or-treaters!" Jack exclaimed as he knelt down and met each levelly, not at all intimidated by their fierce, mischievous grins. "The job I have for you is top-secret and important!"

"And we thought you didn't like us, Jack," Mary cooed.

Jack motioned the three in close and whispered his task for them, ignorant of the evil light that lit up each face. _Kindap Mister Sandy Claws?_ Each giggled and nodded their excitement to Jack that they accepted this task.

"But remember, keep that no account, no good Oogie Boogie out of this!" Jack said, a sever expression on his face.

"Of course not, Jack," simpered John.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Jack," Adam chimed in.

"Good. Remember to be gentle with him, treat him nicely!"

Martha all but whimpered and laid her head on the podium, beyond caring about the ink stains.

Jack remained oblivious as the trio crossed their black little hearts and made their way back to their tree house, too caught up in his own excitement to heed Ianto's warnings or stop to think that Master Oogie's boys might be lying to him or even that Sandy Claws might very well not want to give up his holiday! So convinced that this Christmas thing would fill the void within him, he ignored all other logic and who he was. But our story is not over yet, never fear, and they may yet be time for him to find what's missing.

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The days turned into weeks, and all the days were busy and bustling for two very different worlds. In Christmas town, the little elves and helpers continued, merrily, in making toys, baking pies, polishing the sleigh, and all other jolly sorts of jobs, all together quite ignorant that another world was doing the same thing. The town of Halloween had thrown every creative thought they had into making their own Christmas, and to them, it was coming along beautifully. But, their idea of wonderful and Christmas' idea of wonderful were vastly different and it is safe to say that Halloween's Christmas was all together terrifying. Not that Jack or any of the other townsfolk took notice.

No, only Ianto felt wrong with what they were doing, sitting aside from all the excitement stitching together a red suit, occasionally watching the others smash toys and refigure them into 'better' ones. Toys that said 'mama' or looked hideously cute were just not proper toys and so the townsfolk had to improve them; it wouldn't do if they ruined Christmas with improper toys now would it? Ianto knew that he was still quite new…but for some reason he did not think that his fellow Halloween townsfolk were getting this Christmas thing right. Jack had shown them brightness and color, a beauty that was alien to them and a cheerful aura that was being utterly squashed in their Christmas.

And so, the weeks did speed by until nearly two months had passed and Christmas was almost upon them, their makeshift countdown showing that they had only one week until Christmas Eve. And it was then that John, Mary, and Adam reappeared, lugging a fearsome walking bathtub behind them, a quivering form in a bag within the rusted porcelain. All motion stopped and everyone gathered around, Jack pushing to the front. Ianto peered down from his perch in the old oak tree, tightening up the loose stitches on his left wrist.

"Jack, we got 'im! We got 'im!" They each took off their masks and smiled widely and opened the bag…and out hopped a very confused rabbit. He sniffed the air and stared widely at a man with half his head hanging off, screaming before he dove back into the black bag, all the while Jack frowned in obvious disappointment. Ianto smirked and rested his head on his hands, leaning forward against the branch as he watched.

"This isn't Sandy Claws."

"It isn't?" John asked confused.

"But we went through the door!" Adam spoke up.

"Which door, there's more than one! Sandy Claws is behind the door shaped like this!" And Jack held up a cookie shaped like a Christmas tree that was indeed a striking likeness to the door to Christmas town. Appropriate realization washed over each face and Mary scowled angrily as she began to strangle John, Adam hitting her upside the head.

"I told you, idiots!"

They squabbled like children for a few moments before, fed up, Jack made a scary face that was truly gruesome, pulling down his mouth so the skin revealed the flesh beneath, his teeth sharpening into vicious fangs. John, Mary, and Adam gasped out in fright and huddled close, all thoughts of fighting gone from their heads. Jack nodded at them sternly and turned back to the quivering bag.

"I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience; we'll get you back home in no time." He turned back toward the trio and stood up to his full height. "Take him home first, and apologize again!"

They nodded and hurried away; they resumed their hitting of each other once they were further away. Ianto smiled wider and shook his head laughter, not dropping the smile one bit when Jack swaggered over and stared up at him with an exasperated look on his face.

"It's not really funny."

"I beg to differ, sir."

Jack's frown turned upward and his eyes gleamed. Again, Ianto almost was able to forget how big of a mistake all of this Christmas business was, but he was jolted back when the witch Tosh flew over and proudly showed an ecstatic Jack her demented looking doll. He sighed and slid out of the tree, heading back to his little alcove where his work awaited him, glancing one last time behind him as Jack walked further and further away, already immersed in his Christmas-that-was-doomed. He frowned as he weaved in and out between townsfolk, happy that Yvonne had been consumed with the reindeer construction and apparently a new, 'improved' replacement for him. He had been excited about these strange and new feelings at first but now…now they just seemed a bother.

He worked and worked on the red suit for the rest of the week, conscious of the gap that appeared between himself and everyone else the closer Christmas Eve came but trying not to let it bother him too much, until he was finishing up the suit on Jack himself. Who looked all together much too pleased with himself for Ianto's liking. Jack's pale and gaunt form was emphasized in the red suit, which really emphasized how dead he was, but he didn't seem to notice.

"You don't really look yourself."

"I know, isn't wonderful?" Ianto scowled at Jack, his needle poised over some of the white trimming he was fitting to his wrist.

"But—but you're the Pumpkin King, why are you—"

"Not anymore! I feel so much better now!"

"But…"

"Ow." Ianto glanced down, in some embarrassment, at where he had pricked Jack's finger. He sighed and began stitching up the cuff again.

"Jack, I know you think something's missing but maybe it's—"

"You're absolutely right, something is missing!" Ianto looked up in surprise, nearly dropping the needle to the ground…until he saw that Jack was still studying his reflection. "But what could it be? I've got the beard, the belt, the shoes…what could it be?"

Ianto glared at him for a bit before he rolled his eyes in disgust and went back to his stitching.

He tried to think of how to bring up the topic again, how to make Jack see that his premonition, whether true or not, should be warning enough to stop all this foolish Christmas business, when excited voices called out for Jack. Into the town square came John, Mary, and Adam, their walking bathtub trailing behind them, holding another squirming body inside the black bag. Jack practically leapt from the stool and headed towards them, all the other townsfolk gathering close to in their curiosity.

"We got him this time, Jack!"

"Yeah, this time for sure!"

"He sure is strange, Jack!"

And, as if on cue, Ianto saw a rather skinny man pop his head out of the bag. It was odd because Ianto had been sure in the books Jack had, Sandy Claws was fat and old, not skinny and young. The man clambered out of the bag and met Jack's somewhat unsure stare with a friendly one of his own.

"Hello there! Funny sort of place you got here…very dismal but in a charming way!"

"Excuse me…but are you San—?"

"Oh, yes! I know I look a bit different, but let's be honest, the fatness and beard are really just for the kids, can't expect me to walk around like that the other 364 days of the year, can you? So, want to let me know why I was kidnapped?"

Satisfied, Jack smiled wide and motioned to the entire crowd around him, which was fearsome looking, but Sandy Claws did not look too perturbed. "Well, this year, we've decided to give you a vacation! You won't have to worry about a thing…surprised? I knew you would be!"

The man frowned, looking a bit worried now, and was about to voice his objection when Jack let out a happy yell and snatched his hat off his head. The man looked affronted and patted his untidy brown hair in disbelief. "I believe there's been some sort of mistake, you see, I can't just take a vacation, it's Christmas Eve...and give me back my hat, you scoundrel!"

Jack placed the hat on his head and began practicing his 'Ho Ho Ho's' (which sounded remarkably like cackles), heedless of how the skinny man, who was Sandy Claws, was forced back into the bag and taken away by three maniacal teenagers. Ianto had had enough. He was going to stop this craziness and he was going to do it now. He had let it go on for too long as it was…he knew that if his Christmas failed, Jack would free Sandy Claws from wherever he was being taken to (which couldn't be anywhere good) and everything would go back to how it was supposed to be.

He knew Yvonne's lab would be vacant, as she was helping harness her robotic looking reindeer to the coffin-turned-sleigh with her newer, much more obedient creation that was also much more alike in her appearance, so sneaking into the kitchen wouldn't be difficult. And neither was finding what he needed once inside.

Fog Juice.

"This will stop him."

**********

While all of this was going on, Sandy Claws, whose name was really Santa Clause but like being called Doctor when not on duty for reasons only known to him, was being dragged away by three very naughty teenagers. Before he knew it, he was being shoved down a pipe and was tumbling down, down, down until he hit bottom, feeling quite dizzy and puzzled. When he had woken up that morning, he had not expected to get kidnapped by monsters, learn that HIS holiday was being hijacked, and that he now was stranded in what appeared to be some kind of psychedelic bomb shelter. Needless to say, the day had not turned out the way he thought it would when he woke up that morning. He got to his feet, which he thought was quite the feat with his hands being tied and all, and took a cautionary glance around.

And then the jazzy music started and he felt a pit of dread settle in his stomach.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Sandy Claws uh? Yeah, I'm really scared…so you're the one everybody's been talking about."

"Well, yes, I suppose I am. Would you mind terribly if I just nipped on out though? I'm afraid some of your fellow townsfolk are about to massacre my holiday so—"

The rest of his words died in his throat as the disembodied voice finally came into view. He was tall and grotesque, much more than any of the other monsters he had seen today, and his smile opened into black nothingness, wide and splitting nearly his entire face in half. He had no eyes, just two black voids and was alit in a poisonous green light. His skin looked rough, like burlap, and when he walked, his body looked quite unstable, shifting and moving in a way that didn't suggest flesh or organs. The Doctor took a step back and worried his bottom lip a bit.

"Oh brother, you're something! You aren't comprehending the position that you're in. It's over, you're finished, you haven't got a pray…because I'm Mr. Oogie Boogie and you ain't going nowhere."

The Doctor aka Santa aka Sandy Claws cringed and tried to ignore how the psychedelic bomb shelter looked much more like a neon torture chamber. "Well, what are you going to do?"

Oogie Boogie smiled all the wider and leaned in close, relishing in how his pray cringed back. "I'm gonna do the best I can…and how about you call me Master…"

And then…everything went black.

**********

Review??? Smooches to all who did last time!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing...BBC and RTD (bastard) own Torchwood and Burton/Danny Elfman own the rest. This is what happens when I try to write Torchwood while listening to "Night mare Revisited," a redone compilation of Nightmare Before Christmas songs by modern artists. I beg you all for forgiveness beforehand.

*************

A Torchwood Nightmare before Christmas

Part Three: Simply Meant to Be…

It was ludicrously easy to sneak the fog juice not only out of the cellar of Yvonne's laboratory but into the celebrating town square, where nearly every creature, living and dead, had shown up for the start of their Christmas. Decorated in skulls and bangles, in lights and sludge, each ghost and monster was showing his or her Christmas cheer and celebrating a job well done, for to them, their Christmas was flawless. A band of shrunken corpses was playing a dreary version of a cheery tune Ianto had heard Jack call 'Jingle Bells…' but it sounded more like a funeral march to be fair. Granted, a funeral would be plenty of cause for celebration in the town of Halloween, still…not exactly the most appropriate for Christmas time you can imagine.

Ianto lugged the large bottle around the crowd until he spotted what he needed…a well. It was large and looked ancient, spouting off a slimy, green liquid from the mouth of a ferocious-looking monster and lighting the area in a soft green glow. He glanced around once more before he was sufficiently pleased that everyone else was too excited to give him much of a second look. He hauled the jug up to the brim of the well and paused, really making sure if this was all he could do to try and stop Jack's Christmas, feeling somewhat sick with the knowledge that this course of action would hurt him terribly and possibly make the rest of the townsfolk quite sad. Still…the burning tree was bright and harsh in his mind…he could not let it come to pass. He knew it would be a disaster and had a fear that if it failed so awfully, they, _he_, would lose Jack.

His face firmed in resolve and he poured the fog juice into the well, making sure that each and every drop was used before he tossed the empty jug aside, praying and hoping that this would work. He crept away back into the middle of the crowd, applauding with everyone else as Jack sprang out of the coffin-turned-sleigh in his red, Sandy Claws suit and hat, looking so pleased with himself that Ianto felt another twinge of guilt for what he had done. Someone to his left nudged him, a large, frightening looking clown he had heard being called Rhys, and Ianto tried his best to look excited, quelling the nausea churning his stomach.

The last of the toys were dropped into the sleigh's large garbage bin and Martha scuttled forward, her mayor hat on perfectly and her happiest face smiling at all of them. She reached into the folds of her suit and pulled out a rather long speech, motioning for the townsfolk to quiet down as she cleared her throat and began. It was all rather beautiful, praising Jack and his many accomplishments that brought their Christmas to fruition, and Jack himself had never looked so content in hearing all those lovely words directed towards him.

Ianto rolled his eyes and forced his smile a bit wider to suppress the urge to heckle.

All the while, Ianto's plan was working. The fog juice had begun to do its work and while everyone anxiously waited for the mayor to end her rambling speech so that Jack could deliver their Christmas to all the waiting children, a dense, gray fog had risen from the well and began its winding journey out and up. It crept throughout the crowds' feet (or tentacles) like a many-legged spider, growing thicker and thicker as it wormed its way into the night sky. And it wasn't until Martha started having trouble reading her speech that everyone looked around and shouted in dismay at the fog. Jack himself stared out in disbelief and horror as the fog obscured everything, even the tip of your nose, from view…

"No! This is horrible" Screeched the little witch Tosh, barely able to move about on her broom in the fog.

"This fog is as thick as-as—"

"Jellied brains." The mad doctor, Owen, interrupted the other witch, Gwen. He shook his head and glared at the fog before looking in Jack's direction. "Sorry mate, no way you'll be seeing through this shite."

"You're right, the reindeer can't see an inch in front of their noses!" Jack exclaimed. He looked about helplessly for a moment before he sunk down and shook his head. "There go all of my hope, my precious plans, my glorious dreams."

"There goes Christmas!" Gwen cried out, devastation in her very voice.

All the rest of Halloween let out their own cries of dismay and denial at that, all but Ianto who was struggling not to cry out in relief. True, he did feel awful about ruining all their hard work, especially Jack's, but he knew in his very stitches that he had done the right thing. Rhys the Demented Clown was bellowing in great, ugly sobs, and Ianto patted him awkwardly on the back for a few moments…before something truly horrible caught his attention. There, at the base of Jack's booted feet was Myfanwy…and her brightly glowing red nose.

She barked and Jack, after a moment of trying to wave her off, stopped and looked at her, realization and hope blooming in his bright eyes once more. "My, what a brilliant nose you have…all the better to light my way! To the head of the team, Myfanwy! Our Christmas is not over yet!"

Ianto's eyes widened in horrible understanding as Myfanwy floated to the front of the half robotic, half bone reindeer and the sleigh took off, amidst the cheers and hollers of every, single creature in Halloween. "Wait, Jack, no!"

But Ianto's cry and warning were lost in the noise, and all he could was stare helplessly as the sleigh and Jack took off through the fog and into the sky, his cackles fading away as he did. He stared and stared and stared until everyone else had wandered off to either watch Jack's progress or return to their homes, leaving only stitched up Ianto left, feeling nothing but cold dread. He rubbed a hand through his hair and walked off, determined to not glance back even though he wanted to do nothing but, hoping against hope that his premonition was wrong. He knew that it wasn't though…just as he knew that his good bye was just that, a good bye, and Jack would never know…

You must understand, poor Ianto was of the opinion that Jack not only knew nothing of the true nature of his feelings, but also that it would all amount to nothing in the end! A truly horrible feeling let me assure you. So, he wandered off, feeling somewhat adrift and confused at what he could possibly do now, what was he supposed to do, and if there would ever be a chance of Jack opening his eyes and seeing what he had in front of him. No, he thought with one last, truly sad, glance upward; no, probably not. He was nothing really, didn't even properly belong in Halloween due to his creation…and it was pointless to wish otherwise.

And so he wandered until his feet brought him back around to the town square, where a gaggle of monsters were gathered around a bubbling cauldron, watching and cheering in excitement as they were shown pictures of Jack flying through the sky and delivering presents. Ianto, being somewhat taller than the average ghoul and ghost, looked over and sent his eyes upward in silent exasperation at what he witnessed.

There, indeed, was Jack, busy and in delight in delivering all the ghastly and demented toys to the children. A shrunken head to a confused little boy, and man-eating wreath to an elderly woman, a murderous doll and duck to a sister and brother…not to mention the huge snake Ianto had tried to tell Jack wouldn't work as a Christmas sock. He sighed and shook his head…was it too much to ask that he listen to him at least once? Each home Jack visited with their Christmas erupted in screams of fright and alarm, certainly not anything like the happy sounds Jack had initially described to all of them…until it seemed alarms and warning were being delivered to one and all to bar the windows, shut off the fireplace…

That Santa Clause was not Santa Clause, but an impostor!

Understandably, the people of the Real world reacted in the way that they did, their Christmas not turning out one bit the way it was supposed to or they intended. They ordered that this impostor be stopped, that he was 'mocking and mangling this joyous holiday,' to which all the other townsfolk cheered. Ianto leaned in closer to hear that not only did they decided the impostor be stopped, but that military (a most foul sounding word to Ianto's still learning mind) would take steps to eradicate him for this most heinous crime. He jerked away…Jack, they were going to try and get rid of Jack for mucking about in a holiday that wasn't theirs! And Jack…Ianto couldn't just stand there and do nothing!

He turned and got the attention of the bloody doctor Owen. "Where did they take that Sandy Claws?"

Owen looked at him owlishly, pale face wrinkling in confusion for a moment as if trying to place him before he shrugged and went back to the cauldron. "How should I know, Rag Doll? Oogie's boys probably took him to their tree house, not my business to know though, is it?"

Ianto tried his best not to look annoyed and took off, knowing, generally, the direction he needed to head…Halloween wasn't all that large though to be honest, he was sure he'd find it eventually. No, finding Oogie Boogie's wasn't the hard part…it was what to do once he got there that was the problem. You see, Ianto was new but Yvonne had told him about the infamous Oogie Boogie and the power struggle that occurred all those Halloweens ago. You see, once long past, before Skeleton Jack had even come into be, Halloween had a different Pumpkin King, a fearsome and terrible one…Oogie Boogie, who liked to be called Master when not terrifying the Real world. As the old ones who remembered told it, the Master had held them all within his grasp, performing terrible tricks and gambles on them for sport…

But then, then Jack had come, Jack who was charismatic and charming and compassionate, despite being dead and all. And the two had fought for the title of Pumpkin King…and Jack, who had rallied every other townsfolk of Halloween to his side, won and Oogie Boogie had been banished. Everyone knew that the trio of John, Mary, and Adam served him but no others were allowed to and Oogie's own freedom was restricted to the tree house he was imprisoned under. Yes, Ianto knew all about Oogie Boogie and he knew that if Jack had been thinking correctly he would never had entrusted Sandy Claws with the three henchmen most likely to double cross his orders to keep the Christmas man safe.

Ianto wandered through a few cemeteries before the lopsided tree appeared on the horizon, a dark spot against the full moon's light, and another strange light coming from the base of the tree. He slowly crept closer to the tree before reaching its base, checking around for any of Oogie's boys, but finding none…he hoped they were otherwise occupied. He could hear a jazzy sort of music coming from under his feet and sneaked around until he found a narrow path that lead down the large gap between the tree and the rest of the ground. He hurriedly came up with a plan, fishing out the thread from his tattered suit pocket, coming to a stop in front of a grate that opened into what had to be Oogie's prison.

It was much more colorful than Ianto had imagined it would be…so bright that he just stared at all the colors for a moment before his eyes realized he was looking at electrified torture instruments. He sat down and rolled up on of his pant legs, unlacing his left leg at the knee, glancing down through the grate into the circular room where he could clearly see Sandy Claws, dangling from a hook not unlike a fish, with a somewhat concerned expression. His leg hopped off and he directed his attention to unlacing his right hand, wishing, not for the first time, that he had been made with three hands.

"Are you a gambling man, Sandy?" Ianto couldn't suppress a shiver of revulsion at the sight of Oogie Boogie. Even by Halloween standards, he was especially gruesome.

"Um, no, can't say that I am. Really, I'm sure we can just talk about all this, no need for torturing, I assure you." Ianto rolled his eyes as his right hand crawled inside the metal bars at the truly unruffled attitude this Sandy Claws was adopting.

Oogie opened his gaping mouth to reply, dice poised in hand when Ianto's leg kicked on the door before hopping off to kick one of the metal panels, making a general ruckus. The Master narrowed his equally gaping eyes and shuffled off, hollering for his henchmen to check for the banging. Ianto nodded at his hand, which promptly hopped and slid down the rope holding the Sandy Claws in place. His hand tapped Sandy Claws, covered his mouth and motioned upwards, all the while his leg continued to bang around; Sandy Claws looked up as directed and looked bemused at seeing Ianto.

"Shh," Ianto whispered as his hand untied the knot holding Sandy Claws in place, dropping him to the ground. "I'll get you out of here, but keep quiet."

Sandy Claws nodded happily and helped gather up the rope and hook, tossing them and Ianto's hand up to him. Ianto made sure the hook was properly around one of the bars and glanced to see Oogie was ordering his henchmen through the mouth shaped chute to check the plumbing, before he hurriedly and sloppily reattached his hand to his wrist. His leg came hopping back moments later, just as Sandy began climbing up the rope, and reattached that as well, knowing that he would just have to re-thread the weak stitches when he could. He carefully opened up the grate as Sandy Claws neared the top, but he froze in dread when those dark pits swung back around and stared at them both.

"WHAT! Are you trying to make a dupe out of me?!" Sandy froze and looked around quickly, just in time to catch Oogie's mouth opening impossibly wide and inhaling deep, sucking everything to him. Sandy did not last long and plummeted back down and poor Ianto, halfway in and halfway out as he tried to help the Christmas man, was sucked in as well, falling in with a sharp cry and landing painfully on the metal floor beside Sandy Claws.

"Well, well…I guess we'll have a great party now, won't we?" The Master leaned in close and the last thing Ianto saw was those depthless, black eyes…he truly hoped Jack would be all right in the end…

***********

Now, all while this was occurring, Jack had continued to make quite a mess out of Christmas…though he himself didn't think so. In fact, he was of the opinion that it was going splendidly. All the shrieks and screams of the children who had gotten most unpleasant surprises for Christmas presents were music to his ears and the more houses he visited, the more he was convinced he was doing a good job in taking over for Sandy Claws…even when search lights started roaming the skies he was flying in. You must understand, Jack did not think in the same manner as all ordinary folk did, for he was from Halloween and in Halloween, screams were a sign of a job well done.

Still, you have to admit, the people's reaction to the impostor Santa Claus was probably warranted, despite Jack's good intentions.

Jack flew and flew through the sky, heading higher when cannons started going off to close to his sleigh (he thought they were just congratulating him you see), all the while his fellow Halloween townsfolk watched him and cheered for him…bit it all came crashing down. Jack flew his sleigh into a clear patch of sky and one cannon hit a reindeer…he glanced down in horrible realization and then called out worriedly to Myfanwy. They were _trying_ to hit them! Another cannon slammed through the garbage bin holding the gifts and before Jack could maneuver the sleigh to safety, a final cannon slammed into the sleigh, blasting them out of the sky. And down they fell, to the horror of every Halloween citizen and the satisfaction of every Real world parent.

And, all Jack could think to call out was "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Consumed with grief, Martha announced the terrible news as the others gathered close around the well, while the parents announced to the Real world children that Santa was still nowhere to be found, that Christmas would have to be canceled this year. While all these tears flowed, Jack, not dead as many thought him to be (he was already dead…quite hard to kill someone twice you know), lay brokenly in a cemetery, surrounded by all his hard work, consumed in flames and blackened. He was hurt to be sure, but mainly, he was just confused, ashamed, and saddened at what had happened.

"What have I done?" he asked aloud. Only Myfanwy was there to hear him, but she could do no more than whimper in sympathy. "How could I have been so blind? Everything's gone all wrong…"

He sat up against a broken headstone, his red suit charred, black, and in shreds, wishing nothing more than to just sink into the ground, disappear for a thousand years, let his very bones dissolve into dust. Poor, old Jack…such a fool. He sighed again and looked up into the night sky, a frown crinkling his brow.

"But I never intended all this madness…but nobody really understood that all I wanted was to bring them something great, something new…why does nothing ever work out like it should?"

And then, then Jack realized that he had not done Christmas a favor by changing it into something his own people could understand just because they did not find the beauty of what he had seen that night. No, in fact, he looked around and saw nothing of the Christmas he had become so enchanted with…no, instead, he saw his own Halloween in its place. He pushed himself to his feet, a dark, but oddly at peace smile stretched across his face.

"Well, what the hell, I did my best and I sure tasted something swell. And for the first time since I can't remember one, I felt just like my old self again…and I Jack, the Pumpkin King—"

He paused and widened his eyes, tearing the remaining pieces of the red suit off him and pulling back on the great coat Myfanwy had pulled from the wreckage of the sleigh. "That's right, I AM the Pumpkin King! And just wait until next Halloween, because I've got some new ideas that will really make them scream!"

He stopped and looked down at the somewhat charred Sandy Claws hat Myfanwy offered him next. "I hope there's still time to set things right though. We better get Mr. Claws back in business, uh girl?"

Myfanwy barked in agreement and they both took off through a mausoleum door, Jack forging his way through the Real world cemetery back to his own Halloween cemeteries. Being the Pumpkin King certainly had its advantages from time to time, like when one needed to get back to his own land in a very short amount of time. He popped out in the middle of a Halloween cemetery, pausing for a moment as he tried to determine where Sandy Claws could be…before the logical side of his brain he had before now been ignoring told him that Oogie's henchmen would never have kept their word about keeping Sandy safe from Oogie Boogie. He cursed at himself and hurried off towards the tree house, moving as swiftly as a shadow would across the ground, Myfanwy following close behind.

Jack certainly traveled fast, but not fast enough to spare Ianto from waking up, his wrists tied together above his head, on a great slab of steel that overlooked a pit of hissing, yellow acid, Sandy Claws beside him looking quite concerned. He looked to the aide and saw the Master smiling cruelly, tossing a pair of dice in his hand, the other resting on a lever. Ianto did not have to connect much to figure out what was about to happen.

"Awake now, Rag Doll? Perfect, we can get the party started…"

"I wouldn't if I were you. Jack will tear you apart if he discovers you've harmed Sandy Claws in any way…" Ianto began, feeling somewhat emboldened at that fact…but then Martha's devastated voice drifted towards them, proclaiming that Skeleton Jack, their beloved Pumpkin King, had been blown to smithereens. Ianto felt his breath hitch and a cold feeling of dread, much worse than any pain he'd ever felt before, curl around his chest.

The Master smiled even wider and chuckled softly. "You were saying? I think you're fresh out of options…so let's get this started, shall we?" He rolled the dice and called a seven with glee, cranking the lever seven times, calling out the numbers joyously as the lever tilted the metal slab higher and higher, leaving Ianto and Sandy Claws dangerously angled to slide into the bubbling acid.

"I really would like to thank you for trying to rescue me." Sandy Claws smiled over at Ianto, his tone light and not signifying he was about to made into stew.

"Yes, well, I didn't do a very good job of it anyway…" Ianto was considerably more worried than his companion, his eyes wide as the Master rolled the dice again and cranked the slab up five more times. He slid down a bit and knew that it would only take a few more cranks before they both were dead. "But your welcome, I guess."

He tried to keep the rest of the Master's gloating and taunting words blocked out of his head, tried to picture Jack as he had been before all the Christmas business…so Ianto never noticed Jack sneak in through the very grate he had discovered, slink down towards them at an angle Oogie didn't notice, or Myfanwy grabbing hold of both him and Sandy Claws just as he felt the metal slab go vertical. Until, that is, he was safely deposited next to a coffin, only able to watch a very angry, but very much alive, so to speak, Jack confronting the Master as he pulled the slab back towards him.

"Hello, Oogie."

"Jack! But they said you were dead…you must be double dead!"

The Master stepped on a skull and the entire room lit up in neon colors, whirring and spinning dangerously with knives and swinging blades, waddling away but leaving Jack trapped in between the whirring blades. It all happened so fast, Ianto couldn't really keep track of Jack duck and jump over the blades until he was near enough to the Master to knock him off the skull, retracting the knives. The Master did not stay down long and he welled up, his empty eyes and mouth stretching grotesquely, and he blew out, knocking Jack back into another wall. Back and forth they fought, using each of their best tricks against the other…but Jack was also trying to protect those he cared for while the Master was not. He got knocked back and nearly had his head knocked off by a number of swinging scythes that descended from the ceiling, the Master laughing all the while, promising to kill Jack for good this round.

But Ianto could not just sit by…so he waited until he saw a descending scythe, stepped out from behind the coffin and pushed the Master hard, while he taunted and tormented Jack, glaring with no pity as Oogie Boogie was knocked in the way of one of his own scythes and ripped open at the belly. He turned and stared in disbelief at the stitched together Ianto as hundreds and hundreds of bugs poured out from his ripped body, howling in agony and anger at his inability to stop his own destruction. The Master fell back into the vat of acid in his thrashings, until just one little bug went scurrying across the floor…only to be squished by Sandy Claw's sneaker.

Jack pushed himself to his feet and made his way over to Ianto, who still had his wrists tied together, a look of amazement and wonder on his gaunt face. He hurriedly untied the bonds and was about to voice his gratitude when Ianto shook his head and motioned towards Sandy Claws. Jack turned in remorse and handed back the man's hat.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Claws. I'm afraid I've made a complete mess of your holiday."

The man grinned and took back the hat, placing it on his head with a relieved sigh. "Yes, I suppose you have, but I wouldn't fuss over it too much! I'm sure it's nothing I can't fix."

"So, there's still time?" Jack asked, his voice filled with hope.

"Time to save Christmas? Of course there is! I'm Santa Claus after all!"

He blew on his nose and gone was the skinny, brown-haired man, leaving the typical, round, white bearded version of Santa Clause in its place. He smiled kindly again and made his way to the chute out of Oogie's basement. "Oh, one more thing though, Jack. The next time you get the urge to take over someone else's holiday, I'd listen to him!"

Santa motioned at Ianto, who ducked his head and tried to will away the warm blush tinting his ears. "He's the only one who makes any sense in this insane asylum. Well, got to go! Got quite a lot to clean up and all!" He smiled once more and tapped his nose, disappearing up the cute in a flurry of snowflakes. Jack smiled a bit chagrined but felt a warm hand take hold of his own.

"I wouldn't worry, sir. He knows what to do, it is his Christmas after all."

Jack turned and stared at Ianto, one hand creeping up his arm to cup a stitched cheek. "Ianto, how did you get down here?"

"Climbed…but then I was sucked down the rest of the way. Not exactly the finest of nights." He gingerly took a step towards an upturned coffin, fishing out some thread from his pocket. He faltered a step, but Jack's arms came around him and steadied him, his bright eyes wide in concern.

"Are you—?"

"I'm fine. Just need to redo the stitches, I didn't have a lot of time to reattach my leg or hand before, the stitches are a little loose." He smiled and let Jack guide him to the seat, quickly redoing the stitches with much more attention, filling Jack in on what had happened since he had flown off. He flexed the stitches' strength once he was finished.

"You came down here to help Mr. Claws, didn't you? To help me…because you knew my Christmas wouldn't turn out well?"

"Well…I couldn't just leave you to your own devices, now could I?" Ianto pushed himself back to his feet, meeting Jack's stare and smiling softly. He inhaled sharply as Jack stepped, closer, both hands coming to rest on his shoulders, his eyes gleaming so bright. "We all saw how well that turned out."

"I—I can't believe what an idiot I am. That I never realized that you—"

"Jack? Jack, is that you?!!!" came Martha's voice. Ianto stared up in annoyance at the bright light and even bright smile Martha was beaming down at them. "Oh thank Dracula!"

"See, here he is," Adam chimed in.

"Alive!" said Mary.

"Just like we said," John simpered.

Martha tossed down a rope. "Grab a hold you sack of bones! You nearly sent me to my second grave this time!"

And so he did, grabbing Ianto's hand as they pulled them out.

They made their way back to the town, where hundreds of cheers met Jack's smile and wave, Ianto staring on in affectionate exasperation as Jack was pulled from the Mayor's car and welcomed back. He assured everyone of his safety and that Christmas was saved and being put right again…and just as he did so, above flew Santa, waving down from his sleigh.

"Happy Halloween!"

"Merry Christmas!" they all shouted back. And then, the strangest thing happened. It began to snow, the first time ever, in Halloween.

Ianto got out of the car and made his way to his favorite cemetery, making sure to duck out of the way of Yvonne and her newest, much better suited, creation, smiling softly as he touched the cold, sparkling snowflakes. He walked to the top of the frozen hill, admiring quietly how beautiful the graves and headstones looked covered in a blanket of glimmering white, scooping up a handful of snow and watching it melt in his warm hands, making the stitches wet and flexible. He looked up into the stars, content to just stay here, free…but a soft crash of a metal gate caught his ear and he turned around.

"That gate is not safe, you know," Jack grinned. Ianto's eyes narrowed in confusion as he pushed himself to his feet, watching Jack slowly make his way through the snow and up towards him.

"Your celebration is that way," Ianto pointed out.

"Yeah, it is. But you see, an important someone sneaked off so I had to go find him…that would be the only way that party would be any fun."

Ianto felt a pleasant flutter in his stomach and smiled teasingly. "Is that so?"

"Sure is." Jack came to a stop inches away from him, smiling down and taking Ianto's stitched hands in his own. "So, if you don't mind, I'd like to join you by your side. Think about, gazing at the stars under a full moon, snow covering the ground, cheesy pick-up lines...hard to say no too."

Ianto remained still, his heart beating a bit fast but determined nonetheless. "Depends on what I'd be saying yes to, Jack."

Jack smiled, tugging Ianto forward just a bit. "I think I found what was missing. That's what you'd be saying yes to, so…is that a yes?"

Ianto nodded and allowed his body to be pulled forward the rest of the way. And while perhaps he still didn't have all his answers, and perhaps didn't fully understand what he felt or what Jack felt, he knew he had the important ones when Jack's lips covered his own. And thought that perhaps, he had finally found what he had been missing too.

_Finis._

_And sit together, now and forever_

_For it is plain, as anyone can see_

_We're simply meant to be._

_************_

I finished!!! Happy Halloween everyone and please review if you liked this silly little story as much as I did!

Osco


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